Digital Preservation Systems

A World Without Microfilm: How Local Governments are Leading the Charge in Digital Preservation

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In October 2025, the National Association of Government Archives & Records Administrators (NAGARA) hosted an online forum centered on Advocacy for Archives. Two Ohio Electronic Records Committee members, Tina Ratcliff and Elise Kelly (along with Stephen Badenhop, Director of Archives and Records Manager for Union County, Ohio), co-presented on the future of microfilm and how Ohio’s local governments are adapting to these changes.

The presentation centered on three phases: “How did we get here?” “Where are we now?”, and
“What are we doing to face a future without microfilm?”

For this blog post, we are going to focus on the first phase, “How did we get here?”, and the subsequent blog post will center on phases two and three. Phase one touched upon the usage of microfilm for historical preservation purposes of permanent records. Since the 1950s, Ohio and its local government repositories have utilized microfilm for preserving historical and permanent records.

The obsolescence of microfilm and the emergence of digital records have been frequent topics of discussion among archivists and records managers across the nation for the past couple of years. In addition, supplies and the production of microfilm have become more tenuous in recent years. In 2025, Fuji Film, a major microfilm supplier, announced that it would no longer manufacture microfilm.  Discussing these issues became a focal point at a Spring 2025 Ohio County Archivists & Records Managers Association (CARMA) meeting.

It was determined at this meeting that a committee (the Digital Initiatives & Standards Committee (DISC)) would be formed to create a guide on how to transition from microfilm permanent record preservation to electronic permanent record preservation. DISC’s goal is to “establish best practices, guidelines, and consistent standards for the creation and maintenance of electronic records and to ensure they are retained in a trustworthy, accessible, and reliable manner.”

In next month’s blog post, we will discuss the DISC committee’s current work and projects, and outline the next steps for the digital preservation guide.

Tackling summer digitization projects? OhioERC has you covered

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Summer often brings the opportunity to take on larger, long-term projects that may get sidelined during busier months. For many public entities, this may be the season to focus on digital document imaging. Digital document imaging projects convert paper records into high-quality, searchable digital formats. These projects may free up physical storage space, improve public access to records, enhance disaster recovery planning, streamline retrieval and sharing, and preserve aging or fragile documents. They can range in size from scanning a few file drawers to multi-year, agency-wide digitization efforts.

If you’re planning or considering a document imaging project this summer, OhioERC offers several tools and guidelines to help you, including:

  • Scanning Feasibility Tool – Before investing time and resources into a scanning project, use this interactive worksheet to assess whether digitizing is the best option. The tool evaluates the volume and types of records, staffing and equipment availability, and potential expenses. The tool also provides a list of questions to consider before kicking off a new project.
  • Guidelines for Digital Imaging of Public Records– This comprehensive guidance document walks you through project planning, technical specifications and selection, system implementation and archiving and long-term maintenance considerations.
  • Tips for Document Imaging– This Tip Sheet provides quick tips and best practices for those that elect to embark on a document imaging project.

With the tools provided by OhioERC, you don’t have to start from scratch. Visit the OhioERC Document Imaging resources page for the full list of all of OhioERC’s resources in this area.

The Importance of File Formats

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Managing file formats is an important topic to consider in digital preservation. In a broader context, one needs to study the application and implications of digital file formats. A full listing of recommended formats from the Library of Congress is available online. The Library of Congress’s recommended formats are based on seven sustainability factors. These include:

  • Disclosure – specifications and tools for validating the integrity and accessibility of the format exist. You can now find out how information is encoded as bits or bytes.
  • Adoption – the format is widely used. If everyone is using it, tools will be available for migration and emulation.
  • Transparency – It’s easy to analyze the format using basic tools, such as human readability. Information is not encrypted or compressed.
  • Self-Documentation – the format allows you to add metadata directly to the record. You don’t have to have a program or a database to find out what the record is.
  • External Dependencies – How much hardware or software do you need to access the format? The less specialized hardware or software you need, the better.
  • Impact of Patents – Patents could make it harder to open or migrate formats. Less of a worry with formats that are widely adopted.
  • Technical Protection Mechanisms – Formats should not be tied to a particular vendor or program. The format should be accessible regardless of the system to which it was originally uploaded.

The main content types of file formats are images, video, audio, and text. ISO compliant formats for these types of materials include:

  • PDF/A
    • Plain Text
    • XML
    • TIFF
    • JPEG2000

If you have several different file formats and versions of those formats (numerous different versions of PDF, Word, and Image formats), your digital preservation strategy should alleviate the effects of obsolescence and propagation. Strategies include file migration, emulation, normalization, and developing an institutional policy of only using certain file formats.